Never Too Old for Family
by GirlyGeek
Summary: One-shot spin-off of 'Home with You'. Stoker and Cassiopeia welcome their daughter, Andromeda, into their family.


Hello and welcome to yet another one-shot spin-off of my fic 'Home with You'. I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as the others. Please review! I love hearing from my readers!

**Disclaimer:**I do not own any part of the Biker Mice franchise (unfortunately), and am making no money from this (again, quite unfortunate, lol).

* * *

"And just where do you think you're going?" Stoker said as he came out of the kitchen with a tall glass of water just in time to find Cassiopeia waddling out of their bedroom.

Cassiopeia stopped in her tracks like the proverbial deer in the headlights. "Nowhere," she said with a slight questioning lilt.

"Uh, huh," Stoker said with a teasing grin-clearly not convinced. "You weren't trying to go into work, now were you?"

"No..." Cassiopeia said sheepishly after a small pause.

"Oh, I see," Stoker said with a smirk as he slowly strode across the living room. "So there's an entirely different reason as to why you changed out of your nightgown and into your uniform, right?"

"Alright, alright, you caught me," Cassiopeia grouched in slight exasperation. "But it's not like I'd have that far to go. We live right off base. It's not that far of a walk."

"Cass..."

"I just want to make sure thing's a flowing smoothly," Cassiopeia said. "We just got a new batch of rookies and I wanted to make sure they're settling in okay. Call it a maternal instinct."

"Cassi...the doctor said you need to stay off your feet for the next few days," Stoker said as he slid an arm around his wife's shoulders and escorted her back into the bedroom. "You're due to go into labor at any time now, so would you just do what he said?"

"But the fleet..."

"You _are_on maternity leave, you know. You're not expected to come in. No one's expecting to see you until at least a month after Andromeda's born. The fleet _can _and _will_ survive without you until you get back."

"But, I-"

"No buts about it," Stoker said as he put the glass of water down on the nightstand that stood beside Cassiopeia's side of the bed. "You may be the admiral of the fleet while you're out there, but inside this house, you're my wife and the mother of my unborn child. It's my job to take care of you and little Andromeda. Now get out of those clothes, get back into your nightgown, and get back into bed," he said firmly yet with a smile as he held up Cassiopeia's nightgown. "And I expect you to rest up after the baby's born...no trying to sneak off to manage something on base the minute you put her down for a nap."

For several moments, Cassiopeia simply stared at Stoker with mock menace. "You're getting some kind of sick pleasure from ordering me around, aren't you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Stoker grinned and chuckled softly. "It _is_ kind of a turn on, yeah."

Cassiopeia heaved a long-suffering sigh as she rolled her eyes, though she smiled. "I knew it," she said as she began undressing.

Stoker chuckled again. "Oh, stop pouting," he said with a grin as his wife snatched the nightgown out of his hands. "You know you love me catering to you. Admit it."

"It's not without its perks," Cassiopeia admitted with a small giggle as she slipped back into her nightgown and sat down on the edge of the bed. "But I know it's not all for me," She said with a smile as she rubbed her round belly. "It's for your little princess too."

Stoker smiled and sat down beside his wife and placed a hand on her belly as he slid his other arm around her shoulders. "It's for the both of you," he said as he touched his antennae to Cassiopeia's. "And she may be my little princess, but you're my queen...always were, and always will be."

Cassiopeia smiled and leaned in to brush a kiss to her husband's lips. "I love you so much," she murmured.

"And I love you," Stoker answered with a smile before leaning down and pressing a kiss to his wife's belly. "And I love you, too."

Cassiopeia giggled. "She's already got you wrapped around her little finger and she's not even here yet."

"Damn straight she does," Stoker said with a smile before kissing Cassiopeia's belly again. "And once you're here, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you have as many birthdays as you're supposed to have."

Cassiopeia's loving expression was replaced with a wide-eyed one. "Well, you'd better start now by getting the doctor. You're about to get your wish."

* * *

_...Three hours later..._

"Hey, angel?"

"Hmm?" Rally asked as she lifted a wet and happily gurgling Tyler out of the tub before wrapping him in a towel.

"I seem to have this growth on my leg, could you take a look at it?"

Rally blinked. "Growth?" Turning to face the doorway to the bathroom, she found Throttle standing there with Tessa attached to his leg. She schooled her face into a mask of seriousness though her eyes twinkled with mirth. "Oh, my...that is the biggest growth I've ever seen."

"Yeah?" Throttle asked as he fought the urge to smile-an increasingly difficult task since Tessa was burying her face in his leg to stifle her giggles. "Think there's any hope for me?"

"I just don't know," Rally answered as she stepped over to her husband. "I think you may be stuck with it," she said with a soft giggle as she gently bounced Tyler on her hip.

"Are you sure? There's no way to take it off?"

"I think there might be a way," Rally said with a wink as she handed Tyler over to Throttle. "It's an old tried and true method..."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"This," Rally said before all but pouncing on Tessa and tickling her sides.

Tessa squeaked before giggling madly and falling onto her side as she tried to squirm away. "Mommy!" she managed through her laughter.

Rally was all smiles as she stopped tickling her daughter before raising her shirt and blowing a raspberry into her stomach. "Oh, you are _so_ cute," she said before wrapping her arms around Tessa and hugging her to her. "I love you," she said before kissing the tip of Tessa's nose.

"I love you too, mommy," Tessa said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Rally's neck.

"Hey, what about me?" Throttle asked with a smile before kissing Tyler's forehead.

"I love you too, daddy," Tessa said with a smile as she rested her head on Rally's shoulder.

"So do I," Rally said with a smile.

"You do?" Throttle asked with a grin.

"Yeah...I kinda like having you around," Rally said with a playful smirk.

"Does daddy love mommy?" Tessa asked.

Throttle smiled as he drew his wife and daughter close to him before kissing their foreheads. "Daddy loves mommy very much. I love both of my ladies," he said as he led his family out of the bathroom.

"What about Tyler?" Tessa asked.

"Mommy and daddy love Tyler very much," Rally said with a smile.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Vinnie, what's up?" Throttle asked with a grin as he looked in the direction of the voice to find the white-furred Martian standing in the main doorway.

"Where's that adorable nephew of mine and my gorgeous sister?" Rally asked.

"They're both napping," Vinnie said with a grin before stepping inside and closing the distance between them. "Did someone just have a bath?" he asked Tyler with a grin before gently ruffling his dark hair. "Hey, princess cutie," he said with a smile before ruffling Tessa's hair. "Oh, yeah," he said with a snap of his fingers. "Stoker's been trying to reach you."

"I must've left my communicator in the garage," Throttle said. "What's up? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's great," Vinnie said with a smile. "Cass gave birth."

"Oh?" Rally asked expectantly with a smile.

"They welcome little Andromeda into the world fifteen minutes ago and she's totally healthy," Vinnie said.

"Oh, that's great," Rally said with a smile before putting Tessa down and gently taking Tyler back from Throttle. "Why don't you guys go tell Modo while I get my little man dressed?"

"You got it, angel," Throttle said before kissing his wife's temple.

"Hey, we still on for tonight?" Vinnie asked.

"As far as I know," Rally said with a smile. "Be sure to remind Modo and Reina that dinner's around six so they can come over any time before that."

"You got it."

* * *

_...Stoker & Cassiopeia's bedroom..._

"My family," Stoker mused with a smile as he watched his wife finish nursing their daughter. "How'd I get so lucky?" he asked as he climbed onto the bed and sat beside Cassiopeia-sliding an arm around her shoulders as he gazed down at Andromeda who was just starting to dirft off.

Cassiopeia's smile was one that managed to be playful, loving and tired at the same time. "Years ago, you asked me out on a date...and I said 'yes'."

Stoker chuckled softly and smiled fondly at the memory. "Yes you did," he said before nuzzling and kissing his wife's temple. "You took me off the market and got me thinking about settling down and making a family of my own." He kissed her again before gazing down at his sleeping daughter and taking in the sight of her. She had her mother's coloring but his eyes. "I never wanted kids until I met you," he admitted softly.

"And now that you have one?" Cassiopeia asked softly.

"I can't imagine my life without her," Stoker answered with a smile as he gently brushed a hand over his daughter's ebony hair. "Andromeda hasn't been in this world for even a full day and I can't imagine my life without her."

Cassiopeia smiled. "I know what you mean. Want to hold her?"

"Like you need to ask?" Stoker asked with a grin before accepting his daughter into his arms as his wife gently handed her over. "She's so small and delicate," he said softly.

"But soon she'll grow up strong like her daddy," Cassiopeia said with a smile.

"And her mommy," Stoker said with a smile. "Carbine and Max should be here soon," he said absently-never once removing his gaze from his sleeping daughter's peaceful face.

"Oh, that's nice," Cassiopeia said with a smile as she rested her head on Stoker's shoulder. "I've got a feeling about those two."

"Yeah, me too," Stoker said. "They're good for each other."

"Who knows? Maybe little Andromeda will have a cousin or two in a few years," Cassiopeia said wistfully with a smile.

"Slow your roll, Cassi," Stoker said with a chuckle. "They haven't even been together a year yet."

"I know, I know," Cassiopeia said with a soft giggle. "Besides...our little one here will have plenty of playmates with the bros' kids.

"That's true," Stoker said with a small nod. "When you're feeling up to it, we'll arrange to have them all over here for a get-together of some kind."

"You just want to show off how cute our little girl is," Cassiopeia said with a playful swat to her husband's leg.

"Damn straight," Stoker said with a grin.

Cassiopeia giggled softly before sobering a little. "I like this...how she looks in your arms."

Stoker smiled. "I like how she feels in my arms."

Cassiopeia gently brushed a lock of hair from Andromeda's face. "Maybe in a couple years we can try for a sibling...or two?" she asked softly...hopefully.

Stoker shifted his gaze from his daughter to his wife. He liked the idea of having at least one more child...of having Cassiopeia bear his children again, but he worried that his age would hinder his ability to be a father. True, he was not an old relic, but he was not a young, strapping youth either. Paternal desires or not, what if he simply did not have the energy to raise more than just his daughter? "You don't think I'm too old?" he asked softly.

Cassiopeia raised her head and smiled lovingly at her husband. "Never." She brushed a tender kiss to Stoker's lips. "You're never too old for family."


End file.
